The Seventy-Third Pokemon Games
by BlackStarZX
Summary: Thirty-Four Pokemon. Only one winner. This is the Pokemon Games. We follow three separate Pokemon as they strive to survive against all odds. Against other competitors, the arena itself, and their own minds, they must endure to come out on top. Rated 'T' for death, blood, and semi-disturbing scenes. Original story by Honeyshine.
1. The Pokemon

**Well, I can't believe I'm doing this. But I am, so I'm just going to have to get over it. I'm creating a Hunger Games/Pokémon story.**

**You see right my friend! After reading the harrowing story by Honeyshine, I decided that there needed to be more for the making.**

**My story will try to have the same memorable characters, terrifying moments, and intense action. But I'm not the perfect writer. We'll just have to see how this goes.**

**As I am still working on the other two stories, this is more of a "side-project" for me. Updates will take longer, as I'm going to be working on the other two stories more than this. In estimation, for every two chapters published, one chapter will be published for this one.**

**The story cover uses images from various artists on Devianart. I claim no ownership except for the actual story image. I used them because I believed that the images really represent the story well. Braviary hunting, Phanpy attacking, and Heracross looking plain murderous.**

**ALSO! I had already finished the chapter when I realized that I switched the gender with Mandibuzz/Braviary. I'm terribly sorry, but I'm too lazy to fix it and I'm hoping to publish the first chapter by tonight. So please bear with me when I make this Braviary female, and Mandibuzz male.**

**On a final note: this is a prequel to the original PHG. You'll see which one this is soon enough. Now go ahead and enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say this?**

**The Seventy-Third Pokémon Games**

**A Pokémon Fanficiton by BlackStarZX**

**Prequel to an original story by Honeyshine**

**Let the games begin…**

_Prologue:_

_Humans are no longer dominant in this world. Pokémon are everywhere…in the old cities, in the oceans, in the forest, everywhere. Overrun by Pokémon, the world has been divided into seventeen separate sections, each one standing for a different type of element. Although Pokémon can have two different types of elements, they are randomly selected to a single district. The Authorities reside in the center of these so-called 'districts'. The humans left…they no longer have freedom of choice. They either bond with a Pokémon to train them for the Pokémon Games, they mate to bring another life, or they die. Simple as that._

_Pokémon, more so than humans, are tested. Each year, thirty-four certain trainers are chosen to train and help raise a single Pokémon. For that year, the trainers are responsible for making that Pokémon as strong as they can be. When a year passes, thirty-four Pokémon are put into the Pokémon Games to be tested, to fight to the death. In the end, only one comes out. The Pokémon who is strongest is crowned the winner, to be bathed in fame and glory._

_At least, that's what's supposed to happen._

_The Seventy-Third Pokémon Games was considered one of the most brutal, one of the most unforgiving games in history. Overseen by Darkrai, a Pokémon who seemed to have a love for pain and suffering, the Pokémon inside were tested to never-before-seen limits. The sole Pokémon who did survive disappeared three years later, assumed to be dead. Those close to him/her said that he/she was never the same after the games – haunted by the nightmares in the arena._

_This is the story of the Seventy-Third Pokémon Games. Let us hope that it is the last time to be told._

**Chapter One – The Pokemon**

Braviary was not a Pokémon to be messed with. With her speed and power, she could've easily been targeted by others. However, she knew these risks, and kept them to herself. A Pokémon with power is a Pokémon targeted. The problem with hiding her abilities was that it kept her from making alliances. Even her egg-mate, Mandibuzz, didn't know her full extent.

"Brave, the strange human girl is coming tomorrow. Ready for a last session?" he asked. Most of the time, Braviary said no. No reason for Mandibuzz to accidently find out Braviary's real skill. The element of surprise was to be held until the last second – until Braviary really needed it.

In a lofty voice, Braviary said, "Naaaaaaah. I'll be fine." She continued to look out the window, taking in the view. It was a pretty good chance she would never see this view again.

Mandibuzz gave her a quivering look, "Alright. Your feathers, not mine." he practiced another Dark Slash against the dummy, cutting the target perfectly from the center. Perfect as always, and extremely dangerous. It could cut a redwood in half.

To be honest, Braviary was scared of her egg-mate. They were half-siblings. Same Dad, different Mom's. The thought that Braviary had to kill him was insanely frightening. He was also an amazing fighter.

"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know. Ok?" he asked. Braviary just nodded her head, and continued to look out the window.

_She _did her training in the middle of the night. _She _was the one who her trainer despised for not working hard enough. _She _was the one who no one liked. Why did her life have to be so hard? The year she got picked for the Games was not her favorite memory. The minute her name was called, her life changed forever. She never wanted this. Now her only objective was to survive.

She did all of this for her own survival. All she hoped was that in the end, it would pay off. Maybe they would even let her win with Mandibuzz. Of course, this all depended on the Head Gamekeeper's mood. Bad moods tended to end with bloody endings.

Looking out the window, Braviary thought of what she had missed in her life. What she had regret in her life. Her trainer thought she was week, because she refused to train to her full potential. Inside, Braviary really did appreciate her trainer. In the beginning, her trainer really tried to help Braviary. However, Braviary had rejected her trainer in favor of secretive training. This was Braviary's conclusion: she had pushed her trainer away, not the other way around.

Braviary also concluded that staring into windows really helped you think.

xXx

All Heracross was thinking about was the next day.

The next day he would be put into his Pokéball and transported to the Authorities, where true power really lay.

The next day all of his training, power, weakness, and capabilities would be shown to the entire world.

The next day, his life would change into a public contest between life and death.

Putting his claws over his eyes, Heracross brooded over the last year. The day training had started, Galvantula had insisted on single training. The trainers had no reason to disagree, so they obliged. What they hadn't counted on was Heracross gaining feelings of loneliness.

His trainer had been the only person Heracross could really confide to. Truthfully, his trainer had been his only friend. Sure, trainers were supposed to be hard, tough, calculating people. However, most of them were only in their late teens, or early twenties. None of them were really that old. The only thing they had in common were their skills at being a trainer.

Heracross' trainer had been exceptionally kind; the best Heracross could've asked for. He pushed when Heracross needed pushing, gave kind words when Heracross need comfort. He should've despised the weakling of a Pokémon when he was given the job to train Heracross. In the end, however, Heracross could bench over five times his own weight and throw a punch strong enough to kill a Charizard.

Impressive? He didn't think so.

The problem was this whole 'keep your skills secret' crap. Heracross had no idea how to compare his own skills against the others in the competition. For all he knew, Galvantula could rip off his horn and stab it down his mouth. When Heracross came to these conclusions, he just pushed them out of his head. No need to get depressed.

His trainer came in, "C'mon Heracross. Let's get in another session. I want to see the full power of your Focus Punch and Mega Horn. Someone is going to come and collect you tomorrow, so we better get ready." He signaled to Heracross with his hands.

The Single Horn Pokémon sighed. His trainer was right. Time to get another session in.

xXx

While these two Pokémon were thinking of the challenges to come, Phanpy of the Ground district was resting in the sun. His way of thinking was that if you were to spend your last day of life anywhere, where would you spend it?

Bathing in the sun, that's what Phanpy wanted to do.

Being a smaller Pokémon didn't help his case. This thought constantly bugged the Long Nose Pokémon. By now, he assumed that any Pokémon that went through training would have evolved into their final form by now. His trainer was adamant that Phanpy had enough power to evolve.

All he needed was a little push. That's what his trainer had said. Easier said than done, seeing that Phanpy was the one doing all the work.

No matter how hard he tried, Phanpy could not evolve. Pupitar had started as a Larvitar when he was chosen a year ago. He evolved relatively quickly. Did this mean that Phanpy wouldn't survive the Games, with all the hulking Pokémon after his blood? It was easy for Pupitar…he took a while to evolve. Once he did, he was going to be unstoppable. A Tyranitar on a free rein was not something most Pokémon did not look forward too.

Their trainers were rough, cruel people. Pupitar had grown haughty under their tutorship. Phanpy was less than thrilled. His trainer had believed that Phanpy was "not trying his hardest and being a weak, half-ass worker".

The worms of doubt were withering in Phanpy's brain; making him less sure of himself and making him want to just die. It would be easier than going through all the stress that was sure to come the week before the actual Games.

The spot Phanpy was currently resting on was sort of the small miracle in a world of hurt. Every day, Phanpy's trainer would wake him up early in the morning, doing a long run, sprints, and finish off with a training session. After a small lunch, Phanpy would have to swim – yes, _swim _– through a river upstream.

Phanpy was scared of swimming. He was a ground type, after all. The worst way Phanpy could possibly die, in his mind, was to drown. Water just sucked the life out of him…until he had no strength to breathe, to keep his heart going, to do anything.

He came to this rock when he needed to be alone. Surely, his trainer would be looking for him, make him want to do a "last minute intense-workout session". Tomorrow was the day he would leave the comfort of this rock and face the outside world.

Phanpy relaxed his muscles, and let sleep overtake him.

xXx

Braviary woke up to the sound of Mandibuzz talking…"Wake up Miss Braviary. Time for us to have a last-minute dual."

Braviary groaned. She had just fallen asleep when Mandibuzz woke her up. Last night, she had worked more on her Brave Bird. She was already perfect at it, but every little bit count. She had trained herself to the extreme.

Now, Mandibuzz wanted to have a little contest they do to wake each other up: blow wind in each other's faces. They weren't allowed to do _real _contests – for fear of hurting each other before the actual battle – and wind was pretty harmless. Still, they did it early in the morning so their trainers wouldn't see. For a rare moment, they had both agreed that it would probably not be a good idea to tell their trainers.

"Ready?" Mandibuzz asked. Braviary nodded, "Go!"

As fast as Mandibuzz could, he flapped his wings. For a split second, Braviary thought about resisting. Maybe now would be the time, and somehow…

No. She had been waiting for a whole year, and now was not the time to show her power. Hoping she looked like she was trying, Braviary flapped her wings; quickly getting stuck underneath Mandibuzz's whirlwind.

"Ha! I win again!" he gloated.

"You always win, Mandi…" mumbled Braviary. She knew she could probably win if she tried. That wasn't her objective, though.

"How are you going to win if you can't even beat meeeee…." Mandibuzz trailed off. Someone had knocked on the door.

A second later, their trainers came in. They looked surprise, "Why are you two up so early?" their trainers asked.

Braviary's trainer shook her head, "Never mind, we don't have our Translator's," the trainers walked over to their respective Pokémon, "I'm going to put you in your Pokéball. The time has come. You ready?" her trainer asked. She raised the shining, gold Pokéball.

The Valiant Pokémon nodded. She knew she was ready; she had been training for an entire year.

The last thought Braviary thought of was that she would no longer be playing in small competition with Mandibuzz anymore…this was the real deal.

xXx

Heracross hardly slept that night…

All he could think of was killing…

Murder…

Taking another's life…

The look on their face when they know, they know they are about to die, and there is nothing they can do about it…

"HERACROSS!"

Heracross bolted up, instinctively charging a Hyper Beam between his horns. When he realized that it was only his trainer, he released the energy.

"Good, I'm glad you're still alert. C'mon, it's early in the morning. Time for you to go." his trainer said.

Heracross raised his eyes in surprise. Already?

His trainer cracked a smile, saying "Let's go, pal. Just remember what I've taught you. Stay on your toes. Ok?" Heracross nodded once.

"Alright. In the Pokéball you go. I'll be rooting for you, Heracross. Good luck…"

The smiling face of his trainer was the last thing Heracross saw, before the golden Pokéball engulfed him.

xXx

The only reason Phanpy got up was because he knew he had to sooner or later. His trainer's rough voice was carrying across the area, calling out for his Pokémon, "Phanpy! The girl is here to take you to the games! You need to go _now_!"

With muscles crying against him, Phanpy got up from his rock. He started jogging over to his trainer, where two other people were there, not counting his trainer. Pupitar's trainer, and a small girl who looked strangely out-of-place in the harsh environment.

Phanpy could hear the girl's voice, "…obedient. Are you sure he will survive even the first night?" The voice made Phanpy's skin crawl.

"Sure enough. If he doesn't evolve during the games, so hang me." Phanpy was surprised to hear his trainer giving him a praise. It was very rare to hear his trainer happy, especially after Phanpy disappeared for some time.

"I'll hold you to that," said the girl. She turned around, suddenly looking Phanpy straight in the eye. She exclaimed, "And here he is now. Come now, Phanpy. It is time to see how skilled you truly are." She raised the golden Pokéball.

The thought that his trainer had hope in him gave Phanpy his own; without it, he would not have had the courage to be at the strange girl's mercy.

* * *

**So here it is. I strung it out as long as I could, for I know how important first chapters are. Please don't hate me if it doesn't live up to your standards.**

**My format will be different than Honeyshine's story, as to keep it different and fresh. We will follow the paths of these three Pokémon, and the hardships each one will face.**

**Remember; two of them will die. There is no happy ending to the Pokémon Games. Don't hate me for who I kill off and who I let live.**

**Also, this chapter is essentially the most boring. Right now, I'm giving you the three nicest Pokémon in the game. Will they be in an alliance? We shall see. This chapter was mainly to give you the background of the three protagonists. Hope you like them. Phanpy is the hardest to write for, as he is so innocent yet so strong. I love them all equally, though. Don't think I'm pulling favorites.**

**After this, the Pokémon will go into the "parade" (I don't know what else to call it), the training, and finally the Games themselves. That's when things get interesting. Trust me; this story is not for the over-exaggerate imaginations. There will be some gory stuff.**

**That's about it! And if you don't like my Mandibuzz/Braviary gender problem…just let it slide. It's not really much of a problem now, is it?**

**Hopefully I'll have some more luck in updating; but I already told you my updating plan, haven't I? If not, look on my bio. It explains it all.**

**Cheers!**


	2. The Parade

**Welcome back to another chapter of "The Seventy-Third Pokémon Games"!**

**I know I said that the updates would take a little longer…but currently this story is all I can think of. I have most of the plot lined up how I want it, and I haven't even gotten the rest of the Pokémon introduced.**

**The part I'm **_**really **_**hoping to write soon is the insanely cruel personality of the Head Gameskeeper. I finally remembered what the proper name for it was. The arena is going to be amazingly fun to write for.**

**I'm happy with how the last chapter turned out. I hope this one is equally entertaining. Just don't expect many action points yet…The games have not yet begun.**

**Last thing…if you don't know what I mean when I say 'cars' then you need help. No, I'm not talking about the four-wheeled automobiles. They're on a train. Think about it for a minute.**

**Disclaimer: D1$(l41M3P N0T FoV/\/d. P13$3 TPY 4Q4I/\/…**

**Chapter Two – The Parade**

When Braviary was released from her Pokéball, there were multiple Pokémon already on board the train. Her first thought was to immediately act stupid and worthless; not someone to bother. Some of them were already in conversations.

"…lowlifes! Why don't you crawl back into your hole and die; save the rest of us some time." a Volcarona was saying. The fire-type was arguing with someone from the Dark region; a Krookodile.

"Well, if you're going to act all sassy and crap, then just piss off! I'm not scared of you!" the Intimidation Pokémon said. Inside, Braviary snickered. How ironic.

Volcarona noticed it too, "Oh, how funny, the Intimidation Pokémon saying that he isn't scared. Guess what you little bastard; when we get in that arena, I will _personally _kill you myself. That's a promise!"

The Volcarona turned his head, noticing Braviary, "Will ya' look at the newbie. Guess we stopped at the Flying region. A Braviary…hmm…I'll have to see how you compete. Who knows? Maybe you can even be with us Careers" His smiled reminded Braviary of a slippery fox, one that would pretend to give you poisoned soup if you were sick. She disliked him immediately.

'_Remember…act stupid and lofty_' she reminded herself. Saying out loud, "Meh. Maybe," in a bubbly voice.

Another Pokémon came behind Volcarona. The sight scared her to the core; it was a Swampert, a very deadly and dangerous Pokémon in or out of the water. "What's going on here, Volcarona?" His voice was deep and rich, very calming yet commanding. He noticed the two other Pokémon. "Is a Krookodile getting on your nerves? They're supposed to; damn Dark-types can get in your head. Now this Braviary here…She could be valuable."

Volcarona shook her head, "No, this one is an idiot of a Pokémon. I asked her if she wanted to join, and she refuses!" Swampert, however, didn't look surprised.

"We're pretty hated. But it's no big matter, for we'll crush them all," Swampert said. His voice drew Braviary in, making him seem like he was right and everyone else was wrong. "Now, where is the other Flying-type? We shall meet it," commanded Swampert.

She didn't want to tell them. No way were they going to team up with Mandibuzz! In truth, she didn't even know where he was herself.

"Hello? Who's in here?" Great. Apparently Arceus hated her.

Mandibuzz came inside the car. "Ah, a Mandibuzz. Are you as strong as your companion here?" asked Swampert.

For a second her brother was caught off guard, then he responded, "Yes, more so. She cannot compete against me in her wildest dreams." he boasted. Only Braviary knew the truth, that she either matched or outmatched his skill.

Appearing satisfied, Swampert nodded, "We shall see. Let us go, Volcarona. We are almost at the Dragon district," then speaking directly the other Pokémon, "Do not try and follow us. Careers are rather picky when it comes to potential allies outside the four Career districts." With Volcarona, he left.

The Krookodile next to Braviary grunted, startling her. She had forgotten he was still here. "It seems that your companion here is an idiot. No need to dawdle here any longer. Care to join me in the other cart, Mandibuzz?"

Quickly glancing at Braviary, Mandibuzz answered with a brief "Sure". They left the car.

Suddenly feeling more alone than ever, Braviary sat down in one of the couches, and waited.

xXx

The first thing Heracross noticed was the fact that he was alone with Galvantula. He stuck out his claw, "Hey there, Garv. Long time no see. How's the training been?"

What shocked Heracross was when Galvantula turned his head away, saying, "I'm not here to make friends. Neither should you."

For a second Heracross was confused. What did he mean? Was he going to solo the Games? "What about your allies? You need temporary allies to survive."

Galvantula shook his head, "My trainer told me that this year, pairs are not allowed to survive together unless said otherwise. That means we are enemies, Heracross. I don't want to be the one to murder you, but if it comes down to it, I will without hesitation. Do you understand me?"

Stunned by this reverie, Heracross slowly nodded, "Then I guess it's the same to me. Until then, I will speak no more. For the good of both of us."

"Agreed."

The two went to separate cars. When Heracross arrived at the next one, there were five Pokémon. Two were from the Electric district; a Raichu and Ampharos. The other three were a Shedinja, Farfetch'd, and Mienfoo. "Oh? Who might you be?" asked the Ampharos in a smooth voice. Definitely a female.

"Heracross. I'm assuming this is where the goody-two-shoes are?" he asked, half mockingly.

He meant it in good spirit, but apparently they didn't. The Mienfoo said, "Who are you to mock us? We want no fight; we only hope to survive and battle it out as friends in the end."

Starting to recognize the dangerous grounds in front of him, Heracross quickly shifted gears, "Hey, now. I didn't mean to bug you all," he grinned, "No pun intended. But I'm already in a foul mood; my own district partner renounced me, saying that two Pokémon couldn't win this year."

The Raichu was not pleased, however, "Guys, just ignore him. I don't think he would do us any good. He would be better off in the Careers." They turned his back on him.

Heracross frowned. That didn't work out so well. "Can't we be an alliance? You all seem like decent Pokémon who I can trust."

The Farfetch'd looked back over his shoulder, and then shook his head, "Our alliance is already solid. Now go away, before we force you. Don't test out your luck. Go find someone else to beg too. I don't think you're going to get anywhere far, though."

Hearing the others chuckle to themselves, Heracross flushed and shouldered past them. It pushed Raichu down, hard, who got back up angrily, "You looking for a fight big guy? You sure seem like it." Her cheeks sparked with electricity.

"Hold on Raichu. Didn't you hear me talking to this Pokémon? We aren't looking for a fight already. If we find him in the arena, we'll attack him if we see him. Deal?" the Mienfoo reasoned.

All the while, Heracross kept walking towards the exit.

"That's right you S.O.B! Get out of here while you still can! I'm coming for you!" Heracross slammed the door, drowning out Raichu's rage.

Finally alone, Heracross looked out the window. First, his own supposed partner rejected him, and then a large group of predictably strong Pokémon was out for his blood. Well…Raichu and Farfetch'd seemed the most interested in killing him. Shedinja hadn't talked at all, while Ampharos and Mienfoo had just been…ok.

Sighing, he sat down in one of the couches. There seemed to be one in every car. What a fancy place, with high-speed trains and luxury as far as the eye could see. What made it ironic was the fact that in a week or two, Heracross would most likely be dead.

What was he doing wrong? People just seemed to not like him. It was an accident, pushing Raichu down…but he enjoyed doing it, nonetheless. Jerks like that deserved it.

Heracross knew that he wouldn't be able to survive on his own. As powerful as he thought he was, he would need to be stronger. He couldn't evolve, so that means he would just have to do good in the week before, to prove to the people that he was worthy.

Being worthy meant Sponsors. Sponsors meant packages. Packages meant better items to survive. And everyone knows what that means.

Heracross was speculating these problems when the train stopped. Two Pokémon got inside the Career car; which meant that they were probably Dragon-types. The other three types were already on.

Dragons. The most overly-powered type of them all. If Heracross was to meet one, he didn't know any moves that could overcome them. His trainer had focused, almost all year, on attacks that covered Heracross' weaknesses. He knew Rain Dance for Fire-types…not to make them faint, but to weaken them. He knew Night Slash for Psychic-types. He knew Rock Slide for Flying-types.

But for Dragons? They knew moves like Flamethrower and other attacks, while Heracross knew nothing for them. His only hope was the Fighting-type and Bug-type moves that he knew would help lower their health.

As Heracross was speculating this, he heard a commotion from the other car. Pokémon seemed to be shouting.

The door to his car burst open, and a Druddigon fell in. "Don't come back, you weakling!" The door behind him slammed shut.

Heracross stared as the Cave Pokémon got up from the floor, a grunted, "Is this where the rejects are?" His deep voice asked mockingly.

He reminded Heracross of himself. "I guess so," he answered, "But you're a Dragon-type. Why would you be rejected?"

Druddigon glanced out the window before responding, saying "Because I'm the weakest Dragon-type in history. I don't have an evolution line, and I'm pure Dragon-type. The other Dragons resent me for this. They think I make them look bad." He stared at Heracross. "How 'bout you? Heracross' are strong Pokémon. Or is it because you're from the Bug-type region?"

He said this because the Bug district was widely disrespected, for their normally weak Pokémon. This year was a good year having a Heracross and Galvantula. "Nah. I'm just not good at making friends," replied Heracross truthfully. Inside his head, however, a strategy was forming.

"Neither am I, yet I have taken a liking to you. I know that this is temporary, but shall we from an alliance?"

That was the second time Heracross made a deal that day. Only he liked this one much better. Looks like good things _can_ happen to good people.

xXx

While Braviary was sulking alone, and Heracross was forming a two-man alliance, Phanpy was talking it up with several other Pokémon.

His strategy was simple; act social and get on good terms. Join a large alliance, make it to the end, then wait until the others were done fighting. Phanpy was never the _greatest _fighter, but he was good at staying out of sight.

So far, he was in an alliance with six other Pokémon. Anyone was allowed to join, unless they were deemed unworthy. It consisted of Phanpy, Pupitar, Cradily, Onix, Kecleon, Pilowswine and Lapras. Two from Rock, two from Ground, two from Ice and one from Normal. A pretty solid alliance.

"…water. They will be the most dangerous, considering half of us are vulnerable to them." Onix was saying. The huge Pokémon was curled up in a very tight ball, as he would break the car if he didn't.

Phanpy just nodded and listened to the others. Only Pupitar had talked to him so far, and it had been brief. They had been friends, sure…but it's hard to talk with someone, when in the back of your head, you know you're going to have to kill them.

Currently they were talking strategy. Most of them were relatively strong – Onix and Lapras were the leaders – while the others were just hoping for a shot to survive. Kecleon and her camouflage would be useful. Pupitar, when evolved, would be the most fearsome combatant. The others had such abilities that made them powerful.

Phanpy, however, had worms of doubt in his head. He knew that if one of them were to try and kill him, it would be all over. He just wasn't strong enough.

"Lapras, Pilowswine, if we meet the Careers, you two will be charged with taking out Garchomp. I'm not worried about Druddigon – he got rejected. Everyone else, protect these two at all costs. If we can defeat that monster of a Pokémon, we have a chance. The other Careers we can handle." Onix said.

The prospect of putting themselves in harm's way did not appeal to them, but they knew it was the best chance. The greatest part about having Ice-types in your alliance was that they could take out Careers.

"What's up with Druddigon? Wouldn't he be a Career as well?" asked Kecleon.

Onix grunted, "Way I heard it, Druddigon was too weak to be a Career. Look's bad to be a Dragon-type, with low power and no evolutionary tree. They don't want any weak links."

"The other Career, Nuzleaf, he's just as weak if not weaker. Why not kick him out?" said Cradily.

"Because Nuzleaf can evolve," answered Lapras, "And if he happens to evolve, a Shiftry is very strong. Fast and angry, it would be a challenge to kill."

The others nodded. The Careers were their first targets, but if they were to retreat, find each other without fighting. They needed to stay a group.

"Will there be evolutionary items in the arena?" wondered Pilowswine.

Kecleon said, "Don't know. Most of the time they do, but sometimes they don't. Like last year, that Poliwhirl went looking for a Kings Rock or Water Stone. He never found one."

"Maybe he never just found it. Possible." refuted Pupitar.

"Ah, but there was also no stones, no special areas…nothing. It was also cloudy, _all the time_. An Eevee could have evolved into an Espeon, but that was the extent of it. They made sure of that."

With this, everyone fell silent. The proof was inevitable. There was a chance there would be no evolutionary items, other than basic leveling up.

"Still," Phanpy started, hoping to get in the conversation, "Does that affect us at all? No one here needs an evolutionary item except for Onix. And he's strong enough."

"That's true…Sorry Onix. For our own sake, I hope there aren't any items." said Pilowswine.

Onix shook his giant head, "It's fine. What Phanpy said was true; I don't need an evolution to be strong."

Pupitar said, "Looks like we are almost at the Center. Everyone should go to sleep; we need to be strong for the things that are to happen the following days."

Phanpy was curious, so he asked, "Such as?"

The other Rock-type gave him an incredulous look, saying, "The Parade, for example. After that there is the Training, and finally the Interview. After that, the Games begin. Goes by in a week or two, depending on how much time they want to give us."

With that, the other Pokémon started to walk to their separate cars. Onix didn't dare move, so he stayed in the same room. Lapras curled up on the spot and started snoozing. How she did that, Phanpy didn't know.

Phanpy decided to go and follow Pupitar, seeing that they were both part of the Ground District. He entered the compartment, seeing that he was alone.

Sitting down next to him silently, they sat in silence. After a little while, Pupitar suddenly said, "You know that two people can't win, don't you?" he asked.

Phanpy nodded, understanding.

Pupitar went on, "Then you know that in the end I _will _kill you."

Phanpy nodded again, still silent.

"I don't want to be the one to kill you, seeing as we have never been enemies before. If our alliance manages to kill all the other Pokémon, I want you to leave. Tomorrow, I'll talk to the others about this problem. I think Onix and Lapras were avoiding that topic. It's an…unpleasant thing to talk about."

Then, Pupitar stopped talking and closed his eyes.

Phanpy sat there in silence, trying to comprehend the situation. He would kill other Pokémon if he had too. He had never met them, and in his head, that justified his reason for killing them. But Pupitar? Who he had been training with for an entire year?

He didn't know if he would kill Pupitar, or hesitate and Pupitar would kill _him_.

xXx

The next day, Braviary was woken rudely by another Pokémon. "Get up, you big piece of crap! Jeez, Brave, you haven't always slept so heavily."

Braviary opened her eyes. The train had stopped moving, and Mandibuzz was right over her. "We're at the Center. Time to put on a smile and look pretty."

Getting up, Braviary started walking alongside Mandibuzz. He said, "I got an alliance with the other two Dark-types. Krookadile and Sableye. Sableye will be especially useful, seeing as nothing is super-effective against him."

Braviary just continued to stare ahead, only nodding to acknowledge that she heard him.

"What about you? Did you make any alliances?"

She looked him straight in the eye and said, "No".

At that moment, Braviary and Mandibuzz stepped out of the train and into the light. Crowds of Pokémon and people were there. They all wanted to see the Pokémon that were sure to be strong and entertaining.

'_They only think of me as an exotic form of entertainment. How sick,_' she thought. The crowd was waving and hollering their names, hoping to get a wave back. Anything to be recognized.

The walk was brief. Soon they were inside a massive skyscraper, with a large hall as an entrance. Elevators were on two opposite

The other Pokémon were gathering inside as well. Talking with their various alliances, waiting for something to happen.

Doors at the other end of the hall flew open, revealing two Pokémon. One of them was female, a Meloetta. A small and rather petite Pokémon, Braviary knew that this Pokémon was, in fact, immensely strong, enough to take on most of the Pokémon gathered.

The other one was even stronger than the Meloetta. In fact, it was probably the strongest one there.

A Darkrai.

The Pokémon of nightmares. The Pitch Black Pokémon. Various names have been called to describe this rather evil Pokémon. Both frightening in appearance and strength, Braviary was suddenly afraid if it was what she thought it was.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. In case you didn't know, my name is Meloetta. I speak for Leader, as Leader prefers to keep his – or her - identity hidden. On my left is the Head Gamekeeper, Darkrai," she said.

"Pleasure to meet you all," he said. His eye passed over all the Pokémon, scanning them with his blue eyes.

Meloetta kept talking, "In three hours, you will participate in the Parade. Beforehand, your separate stylists will prepare you for presentation. Until then, feel free to mingle and socialize."

As she and Darkrai walked away, Braviary made it her mission to do exactly the opposite. To _not _socialize, to _not _mingle with the others. She would be on the outskirts of the talking Pokémon, observing the others.

xXx

Soon, the Pokémon were herded into another part of the building, where their stylists began to work on their various bodies. Heracross knew that the chance of him getting sponsors depended on this.

His stylist was, fortunately, a Vespiquen. The female Pokémon knew how to design and add flourish to Heracross' otherwise plain structure. The theme for Heracross was to be a "king bee" among other creatures. They hoped that it would make Heracross look proud and ready for battle. Although not really an official Bug-type theme, Vespiquen was sure that it would qualify.

"Now remember to flare your wings, fast. It will disperse the glitter and make it look absolutely _fabulous_!" she said. Heracross winced. She may be a good stylist, but she was immensely annoying.

Within twenty minutes, Heracross was ready. He wore twin silver gauntlets around his claws with a knight visor fit around his horn. Attached to his carapace was some armor, complete with some boots for his feet. (1)

It was all uncomfortable, but he knew it was going to help him win. In the end, Heracross would do what he had to do. Just that wearing uncomfortable clothing was not something he had expected to do.

"All done. Let's go meet Garvantula and Ariados now, shall we?" Vespiquen knew it was only for formalities sake. He _had _to go, he had no choice in the matter.

The door opened, and Galvantula came in. Vespiquen and Ariados started talking immediately, but the two combatants just stared at each other.

Galvantula was dressed as a warhorse, armor glinting on his various appendages. On his back was a saddle…

"Don't you even think about it…" he spat at Heracross. As stoic as he tried to be, Heracross couldn't help but giggle at Galvantula's costume.

"SHUT IT!"

xXx

As part of the Ground district, Phanpy's chariot was like a little moving patch of the earth. Quite literally, too, since their chariot was a Torterra.

Since both Pupitar and Phanpy were smaller Pokémon, the stylist had thought that it would be absolutely stunning to have Torterra carry them. After all, he had a tree on his back. All they had to do was watch out for the metal spikes sticking out of him.

The Torterra was old yet fast enough to keep up with the other Pokémon chariots. Granted, they were only trotting at a slow pace. At first, Phanpy had worried that the strange chariot would look strange and forlorn. However, the Center Pokémon were applauding and throwing whatever they had in their hands at them. It helped to look the part as well.

Their stylist, Phanpy had concluded, was an old Pokémon Games veteran. Apparently, the older Golem was an old competitor who had won while disguised a rock. When a Pokémon came over him, he flipped up and destroyed them.

Using his camouflage skills to fit Phanpy and Pupitar (he had chased out the other stylist so he could personally work on both of them), he first smeared them with dirt, giving them a musty-brown color. Then he took grass and started twisting them into shapes. It was very surprising for Pupitar and Phanpy when they saw the large Pokémon _carefully _intertwining blades of grass into various shapes. Every once-in-a-while, he would stick a leaf into the wreath. Putting it on top of their heads, it made them look like little halo's.

The crowd loved it all.

Only now did Phanpy realize how important it was to have a good stylist. A good costume can win you sponsors, who in turn help you win the games. If they liked you enough.

Phanpy was playing up the "innocent and adorable elephant" image. Waving back, smiling, and giving little shouts of joy. For once, he was proud of his small size. Made other like him.

The chariots went on for a good distance, and then stopped in front of a large mansion. The estate was handsome and beautiful, with large windows that let in the sun. A balcony was perched along the top. Meloetta came into view.

Voice magically (2) amplified, she said, "Welcome, tributes, to the Seventy-Third Pokémon Games!"

She had already met the Pokémon that were to fight, but she welcomed them for the crowd. Now was the time to "officially" welcome them to the games.

"My name is Meloetta, and I speak for our glorious Leader. As Leader is preoccupied, I am his eyes, ears and voice. Today we welcome all thirty-four Pokémon who have diligently trained for an entire year. In a week's time (3), their true strength of body and mind will become apparent to all of those in the arena. This year, we have Nuzleaf and Tropius from the Grass district."

A green light shone down on the two Grass-types. While Nuzleaf looked haughty and cocky, Tropius looked ahead with a proud structure.

"From the Water, we have Swampert and Slowking," Even though Swampert put a vibe of control, Phanpy knew that a Slowking could be very powerful as well.

"From the Fire, we have Flareon and Volcarona!" Volcarona let out a Fire Spin, covering their chariot in flames. Flareon added his own to the fiery spin. The Capitol ate it up.

"From the Dark district, we have Sableye and Krookadile! Neither of them looked up. They just stared up at Meloetta, not reacting.

Very slightly unnerved, Meloetta kept going, "From the Ghost district, Shedinja and Banette!" Shedinja, strange as ever, didn't really change. He (or she?) was just floating up and down. Banette, on the other hand, was waving her hands at the crowd. She appeared to love the attention.

"From the Normal district, we have Farfetch'd and Kecleon!" The Wild Duck Pokémon flipped his stalk over and over again, while Kecleon simply disappeared. Both received a high amount of applause.

"From the Electric district, we have Raichu and Ampharos!" The sacs of electricity sparked on Raichu, giving her a ferocious appearance. Ampharos simply spun in place, looking elegant and gorgeous.

"From the Flying district, Braviary and Mandibuzz!" To Phanpy, Braviary just had a glazed expression on her face. Mandibuzz looked up with a strange gleam in his eyes; one of lust and power. Phanpy felt sorry for the Braviary if Mandibuzz had always been that way.

"From the Poison district, Scolipede and Nidorino!" The very large Scolipede let out an audible screech, audible even through the Center Pokémon's cheers. Nidorino tried, but simply wasn't loud enough.

"From the Ground, Phanpy and Pupitar!" A light shone in Phanpy's eyes, but he tried to ignore it and let out a gleeful shout. Beside him, Pupitar let out a Sandstorm to lift him a few feet above Torterra.

"From the Rock, Onix and Cradily!" Neither Pokémon moved enthusiastically, both merely smiled (if Cradily _**can **_smile…) and nodded their heads to the crowd.

"From the Steel district, Forretress and Mawhile!" Mawhile simply looked stunning, with her white dress amplifying her beauty. Forretress looked less-than-stunning…Apparently, their stylist couldn't find anything for him to wear. So, they gave Forretress a top hat.

"From the Ice district, Lapras and Pilowswine!" The Transport Pokémon sent out an Ice Beam high into the sky, while Pilowswine used Mud Bomb to surround the beam. The crowd was absolutely amazed.

"From the Bug district, Heracross and Galvantula!" As if on cue, Heracross fluttered his wings. Sparkling glitter rose in every direction, with the crowd's "ooh's" and "aah's" reflecting their admiration. With a small spark of jealousy, Phanpy wished that he had wings. What it would be like to soar across the sky, the only fear being that you'd have to eventually come down.

"From the Psychic district, Duosion and Lunatone!" The random objects scattered on their chariot suddenly shot up, and simply levitated in the air. The raw power of their psychic ability amazed everyone around. They only knew that this was only a small taste of their real power.

"From the Fighting district, Scrafty and Mienfoo!" Both Pokémon went into complex poses of balance, slightly impressing the audience. Although not the best they had seen, it was impressive enough to be recognized.

"And finally, we have the Dragons! Druddigon and Garchomp!" The Garchomp flew straight into the air, breaking the sound barrier. Druddigon let out a highly-intimidating Thunder Fang, electricity sparking up on his fangs.

The crowd went absolutely wild. Throwing objects, shouting, stomping their feet, any way they could. Everyone loved Dragon-types, as their speed and power was apparent, even among the blind and deaf. (4)

After a minute to calm down – and let Garchomp come back down – Meloetta waved her hands through the crowd. Quickly, all talking stopped. "Yes, what an enthusiastic applause for these amazing Pokémon. Now remember…only one will be coming out of the arena. Pokémon are allowed to sponsor the Pokémon which they favor most. It may even help them survive."

"However, tonight we shall wave aside these unpleasant thoughts of power and politics. Tonight, we hold a celebration for these Pokémon! I hope to see you all there, and wish you all good luck in the coming days." With that, Meloetta strode out of sight.

The crowd started heading towards the mansion, where the party was to be held.

The Scolipede jumped off his chariot, and started crawling towards the party. Looking back, she said, "You know, if you want to go to the party, you need to get off now. Otherwise, stay on the chariot. It'll take you back to the building." She would've called it a hotel, but…it's not really a "hotel" when it had thirty-four stories, each with only one room for the district Pokémon.

Most of the Pokémon hopped out and started going to the party with her. However, some of them held back. The Braviary just settled down and closed her eyes, not moving from the chariot. A few others didn't move as well, planning to go home and get some rest.

Lapras was one of them. "I'm tired guys. I'll see you later," she said. Phanpy thought it strange, seeing that she was part of a large alliance.

Truth be told, Phanpy was tired as well, but he knew how important it was to socialize. Instead of going with Lapras, Phanpy jumped off and headed to the party.

xXx

As Braviary stared down at the mansion, she contemplated how the Parade had gone over. She had looked weak, trying to look stupid and idiotic. She feared it worked. Now nobody was going to sponsor her, unless she changed their mind when in the arena.

The view was amazing. Braviary could see most of the Center from the roof! She had top floor due to her being a Flying-type. Not because they were the weakest, but because it was required for them. Birds love to fly.

Of course, there was an invisible magnetic field around the perimeter that prevented any suicidal attempts. There was also a height limit, so Pokémon couldn't fly high enough to kill them. If a Pokémon decided to stop flying, they might break a few bones…but nothing serious.

Braviary had tried to fly as high as she could, but it wasn't much. Too much effort to go so little a distance. She could see just fine.

From here, she could see the lights from the mansion. There was no noise – the building was too tall and too far for that – but she guessed what was going on. Laughing. Socializing. Minor challenges. No alcohol, since it might impair one's judgment and make them kill one another.

Depression hung on Braviary's wings as she thought what could've gone differently, if she had only shown her true strength. She didn't blame anyone except herself; she had brought this depression to her.

Going back down from the roof and into her room, she walked over to her roost. Tomorrow, training would begin. She hardest challenge would be to not get too excited, and do something that might endanger her secret. She had gotten this far, and there was only a week left to go.

xXx

**(1) Oh god. That really did suck. Making those costumes took every ounce of my creativity. I know I didn't make up many, but like I said…I'm only focusing on those three Pokémon. But I laughed at Galvantula :D I thought his costume was amazing.**

**(2) Magically? I don't know…it was amplified somehow. Being magical doesn't necessarily mean it involves wizard magic and crap. Don't argue with my logic.**

**(3) I know, I know…I keep changing the time that they stay in the Center. I keep forgetting what it is, so I'm going to permanently change it to a week.**

**(4) Ok, you know how I said Druddigon was hated and called weak? Well, he is…just by Dragon and Career standards. If I didn't make that clear enough, it is now. Among other Pokémon, Druddigon is still a highly capable Pokémon.**

**Absolutely no action this time around, but that will change in another two/three chapters. After that…SHOWTIME!**

**Also, I think I'll go and finish up some stuff for my other stories. I haven't completely forgotten them. If you haven't seen them, go try them out. They both star Ash Ketchum , but in entirely different worlds. One stars him in the Hoenn Fronteir, while the other…is a bit hard to describe.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, and have a good day. I don't know what else to say…**

**Cheers!**


End file.
